Starting to feel a spring in my wellies...

Wow, it finally feels like the gardening season is here! At last! :D

The past few months have not only been excruciatingly cold and gardening-unfriendly, but I have also been completely snowed under with work. And it doesn't look like it's going to ease up any time soon either.

Nevertheless, I did manage to steal a few hours over the weekend to make the most of the weather and get the kitchen garden, greenhouse, mojito bed and flowerbeds up to speed. Here are a couple of today's happy snaps...

All looking so very promising. Please please please weather gods & nemaslug,
let me have a productive kitchen garden this year....!

My first ever fritillaria, so ridiculously pretty & delicate.

Promising garlic

With the temperature reaching a whopping 14oC today, it was time to take the mini poly tunnel off the garlic bed.

As my garlic was a complete wash out last year, due to a mild winter and a very wet summer, I didn't have particularly high expectations this year. But things are looking very promising... Fingers crossed!

Bit 'o fresh air

The temperature is slowly rising and, although it was -3oC again last night after a week without frost, daytime temperatures are now pretty much staying above 5oC.

And despite an evil wind whipping them about a bit, I couldn't resist giving my chillies a bit of proper sunshine and fresh air.

Giving Nemaslug a go...

This year I've decided to finally give Nemaslug a go, after having lost what little harvest there was last year to slugs (as well as mice, deer, pigs and hares but they're a bit harder to deter).

I tried everywhere to find the stuff, having seen Monty Don splashing it about in his kitchen garden, but no-one will deliver to Sweden.

Then I found this guy:

Nematoder.se

What a hero!

Beautiful Purple Serrano flower

As predicted, the Purple Serrano was next to flower. So purdy too. :)

And the winner is....

...Lombardo!

Ok, so it's not exactly fruition, but it's looking that way.

:)

Chilli chaos again...

Oops.

The house has turned into a chilli jungle again. I guess I should have realised that 35 little seedlings would turn into monster plants and take over the place.

These are the survivors:

Lombardo 6
Aji Colorado 6
Trinidad Scorpion 5
Hot Lemon 4
Early Jalapeno 4
Jalastar 3
Purple Serrano 3
Padron 2
Bailey Piquin 2

So... I have to 'get rid' of a few. I want to keep at least two of each, just in case.... But any takers on any of the others?